Chilean President, Sebastian Pinera, has promulgated a pardon law –after being passed by Congress— to release prisoners who are over 75 years of age, pregnant women, mothers of children younger than two years of age, and other vulnerable persons. The pardon will commute the sentences of those eligible. The pardon excludes those who have committed serious offences (kidnapping, murder, gender violence-related offences, etc).

The executive has also created the Prevention and Care Plan for People in Penitentiary Facilities. This plan includes, among other measures:

• A Mass Vaccination Program against influenza, which has already protected nearly 100% of the prison population at risk.
• An Information Program to prevent the spread of COVID-19, both for persons deprived of liberty and the staff
• A Communications Strengthening Program between inmates and their families.
• A Protocol of Sanitary Control of the people who enter the prisons and reinforcement of hygiene and sanitization of the latter, including the disposition of masks, soap and alcohol gel dispensers.
• The elaboration of Protocols of Attention and Referral to centers of the health care network, in cases of suspected contagion.

Read the law here (in Spanish)

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